Neurodivergence

This group was originally started by Chad Keith who created and hosts a podcast by the same name in Charlotte, NC. I am hoping to continue his legacy here in NoVa as I recently moved to this area. This group is all about finding community around self-improvement and exchanging ideas on how to be your best self and get the most out of life. This group is for anyone who is interested in overcoming average in all areas - career, ambitions, relationships, hobbies, health, everything. I am so excited to meet driven individuals in the NoVa area so please reach out if you have any questions at all. EVERYONE is welcome so please sign up for an upcoming meetup!

**\*This is an in-person event\*** Most people hold their ideas too tightly. They refine too early, hesitate to share half-formed concepts, and wait for “perfect” before putting anything in front of a user. Frankie Abralind works the opposite way and that mindset is a big part of why his projects succeed. In this session, Frankie walks you through his real creative process: messy drafts, discarded versions, surprising user reactions, and the moments when he threw out something he loved because the evidence pushed him in a new direction. You’ll see firsthand how treating ideas as *disposable, not precious* accelerates learning and leads to better outcomes. You’ll also get to examine real artifacts from the development of his games **BrainSpin**, **DIEKY**, and **eckso**. Explore prototypes, dive into design dilemmas, and hear candid stories of iteration, failure, and breakthrough that have earned former DT:DC director Frankie Abralind a reputation as an “entrepreneur who ships.” **What you'll learn** • What you need to test an idea quickly • Where to find real users (beyond friends and family) • How to ask non-leading, non-biasing questions • User-testing methods that uncover meaningful insights • Best practices for rapid iteration • How to log feedback, share modifications, and track updates • How to receive feedback with openness and use it productively • How to build, and reward, a network of testers and supporters **Agenda** **6:00pm** – Snacks & connection **6:30pm** – Case Study 1: *BrainSpin* — finding user testers **6:50pm** – Case Study 2: *DIEKY* — play tester appreciation **7:10pm** – Case Study 3: *eckso* — rapid prototyping **7:30pm** – *Zenmo* — live user testing **8:00pm** – Debrief & questions **8:30pm** – Adjourn **About our presenter** **Frankie Abralind** is an experience designer, artist, and neurodiversity advocate. He earned his MBA from the University of Maryland, where he has taught “Innovative Thinking” to graduate students since 2014. He also served as co-director of the Innovation Hub at Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital. In 2018, Frankie co-founded **The Good Listening Project**, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening psychological safety in healthcare. He is the inventor of the bestselling game **BrainSpin**, which showcases the power of divergent thinking and collaboration. Today, he leads the stealth startup **Zenmo**, which helps people connect through color. He’s Autistic (and proud!)

**About The Peer Integration Circle** The peer psychedelic integration circle is in collaboration with Keith Miller, LCSW-C and [Calliope Health](https://calliope.health/). Integration circles will now be moving from last Tuesday of the month to the last Wednesday. Additional information is available on the [Calliope Health site](https://calliope.health/psychedelic-integration-group/). This group is for those who have already had experiences with psychedelics. Other groups would be more suitable for those that have not had psychedelic experiences. ***Please note!!! RSVP is required for this event.*** Psychedelic integration is a way of turning the insights and experiences we have when we use psychedelics into lasting behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s a process of becoming whole, moving from altered states to altered traits. A Peer Integration Circle is a group meeting where people take turns listening to and sharing their experiences, thoughts, and feelings relating to psychedelic integration. **Cost** Free **Co-Facilitators** Keith Miller, LCSW-C and TBD **This group may be right for you if you:** * Have past experience using psychedelics * Want to talk through your psychedelic experiences openly with supportive people * Seek additional strategies for continuing your integration process * Wish to support others in their personal growth within an inclusive and judgment-free space **This group may NOT be right for you if you:** * Hope that attending might replace your need for professional treatment of any mental health problems you might have * Are looking for group psychotherapy, medical care, or psychiatric treatment or advice * Had a challenging experience with psychedelics that continues to cause you distress * Want to find out where to access illegal substances or guides or practitioners working “underground” **How it Works** Here are a few things to know about how our peer psychedelic integration group works: * Tea and water will be provided * Please plan to attend the full duration of the event. Late arrivals and early departures disrupt the safety of our space. Doors will close at 6:55pm * There is a 15-person limit for this event, so that everyone will have the chance to speak and be heard. You must register via our MeetUp page. **Our Expectations of all Participants** To help keep our time together focused, meaningful, and safe for everyone, we ask that you abide by these expectations: * We treat all people within our circle with courtesy, compassion, and respect, regardless of age, ability, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. * We do not encourage or condone any illegal activities, the purchase, sale, transfer, or use of any illegal substances, or partaking in any unlawful activities related to illegal substances. For those who choose to partake, we encourage safety and awareness from a harm reduction standpoint. * We do not use illegal substances during our meetings. * Please do not use the group for references to ceremonies or where/how to find illegal substances, online and/or in person. * Do not bring, buy, sell, transfer, or arrive under the influence of any illegal substances, or swap information on how to acquire them through the group, online and/or in person. * Anyone who disregards these basic requests will be asked to leave the group and not be permitted to return. Thank you for respecting the safety of the space we are co-creating. **Finally** * *We ask you not to show up without registration.* * Attending these meetings does not create a treatment relationship. Any attendees requiring medical or psychiatric treatment will be offered referrals to professional care. * If you have concerns about accessibility, please contact the facilitator at the email below. * If you wish to speak to somebody about difficult psychedelic experiences and are unsure where to turn, immediate and free peer support is available from the psychedelic helpline [Fireside Project](https://firesideproject.org/).

Winter just got a lot more delicious. ❄️🍝 Celebrate DC Winter Restaurant Week at Divino, extended January 19–February 1, with a three-course dinner for $40. Cozy flavors, Italian favorites, and the perfect excuse to order that extra glass of wine. See you at the table. DINNER MENU $40 =ANTIPASTI= POLPETTE meatballs, San Marzano tomatoes DOP, Parmigiano Reggiano CAESAR SALAD Earth - Eats romaine, Grana Padano, anchovies, pangrattato BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP crispy prosciutto, sage foam, pine nuts =ENTREES= LINGUINE pomodoro or broccolini pesto TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE San Marzano tomatoes DOP, beef, peperoncino GRILLED SALMON zucchini, red pepper sauce, cherry tomatoes BAROLO BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS creamy polenta, oyster mushroom, demi-glaze DOLCI MOUSSE AL CIOCCOLATO chocolate, cream, strawberries CLASSCI TIRAMISÚ

This class is designed to target those places in the body that might need a little extra space breathed into them after a night's sleep. This morning, get your blood pumping and work out all the stiffness, cramping, and tightness that are often left in the body after hours of laying still. Now seize the day! **Please reserve your spot at www.piesfitnessyoga.com**. The session is offered both InStudio and OnLine. The Zoom link for the OnLine session will be emailed 15 minutes before class starts to those who are registered at www.piesfitnessyoga.com. **Sign up for sessions must be made at least 2 hours prior to class.** The address is 1322 Prince St Alexandria, VA 22314. Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 3,5,7,9.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St.

We will gather for our first meeting of the new year at the Vienna Inn. We'll have a couple tables in the back, enjoy food, fun, and friends, and talk about warmer weather and fishing trips to come. Hope you can make it.

• What we'll do On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ Thursdays at 6 pm. discussing the economy....

Join the DC Portuguese Conversation Group on the third level of Roofers Union in Adams Morgan (may do the heated rooftop or second floor depending on weather) for an evening filled by practicing Portuguese. Come practice Portuguese over beers while building new connections and broadening your cultural/lusophonic horizons with us! (IF YOU ARE STILL LEARNING THAT IS FINE, ALL LEVELS WELCOME). Whether you are a native Portuguese speaker, an English-speaking expat looking to practice Portuguese, or simply interested in making international friends, this event is perfect for you. Come ready to engage in stimulating conversations and make new friends. Ate ja, tchau!

**Notice the new time. We are now 2-5pm.** Bring your own board games! The MoCo Pride Center has a few games as well. Newcomers welcome! You don't need to know anything, we will teach you how to play! We do not serve food. Note that you can bring drinks and food, but plan to leave the place tidy. Some of us may also get food together afterwards. Info about the MoCo Pride Center: [https://www.mocopridefamily.org/pride-center-home](https://www.mocopridefamily.org/pride-center-home) The Center is close to the **Bethesda Metro Station**. It is on the 2nd floor of the **Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center**. Look for the **blue awning** that says Geste Beer at the cross of Old Georgetown Road -- the front entrance is directly to the left of this awning. The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center has an attached garage, which is accessible on Edgemoor. Go past the Center, then turn right at the stop sign across from the Metro stop. The garage is your first right. Payment is mobile using the ParkMobile app.

Let's get together again and practice our Tarot card and pendulums. This is for beginners through advanced readers to practice their skills. Everyone will get to do a reading. There will be extra decks and pendulums if you do not have some. We will try different layouts and share our experiences. All fun! There will be another class starting at noon for the library if you want to stay and keep practicing. See you there! Shaman Phil

Biodanza is now in Washington DC Weekly Wednesday evenings Come dance with us! **Worried?** **Anxious?** **Nervous?** Step away from the stress and into your body. Biodanza is a joyful, heart-opening movement practice that reconnects you to what’s real: your breath, your body, your emotions — and each other. With music, guided movement, and simple human connection, Biodanza awakens vitality, lifts your mood, and reminds you of the joy of being alive. **What to Expect:** ✨ Uplifting music & guided movement ✨ Connection without words ✨ A welcoming, inclusive group ✨ No dance experience required **Reserve your spot or ask a question:** at [www.biodanzausa.com](http://www.biodanzausa.com) on the “Classes” page Wednesdays Weekly 7-9pm Venue: Peastreet yoga in Dupont area close to metro

Think you aren't flexible enough for yoga? Afraid to get onto the floor? Living with physical aches or restricted range of motion? Then this is the perfect yoga class for you! Explore your body's strengths in a fun, supportive environment while maintaining and growing your range of motion, flexibility, balance, strength, and sense of peace. All are welcome in this therapeutic class. Come ready to try new things, laugh, ask questions, and support each other. **Please reserve your spot at www.piesfitnessyoga.com.** The session is offered both InStudio and OnLine. The Zoom link for the OnLine session will be emailed 15 minutes before class starts to those who are registered at www.piesfitnessyoga.com. **Sign up for sessions must be made at least 2 hours prior to class.** The address is 1322 Prince St Alexandria, VA 22314. Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 3,5,7,9.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St. Discount is available to seniors, teachers, students, emergency responders, and military. All can save by purchasing class packs.

Join Neurospicy Columbus at the Stauff's for coffee and then a stroll through the Book Loft nearby! This will be a friendly chat for like minded individuals with Autism and/or ADHD (or somewhere on the Neurodiverse Spectra).

Dale Gnidovec, Curator of the Orton Hall Museum of Geology at The Ohio State University, will be presenting a program he has wanted to share with us for a long time: Plate Tectonics. His description of his program: Continents on the move - Nothing in Earth history makes sense without moving continents - it tells us why mountains, volcanoes, minerals, and fossils are where they are. This talk examines the evidence for continental drift, why it was disbelieved, and explains how the more-encompassing theory of plate tectonics was developed and eventually proven. Dale is an energetic, incredibly knowledgeable, and very entertaining speaker and this will be another wonderful program by Dale. Hope to see you there! Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Bienvenue! Columbus French Conversation group invites you to our Saturday morning French conversation club. Expect a casual and welcoming atmosphere in which to learn french! I will bring my laptop so we can look up new vocabulary as needed! The venue is a beautiful French restaurant so you can really get into the zone :)

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Do you want more motivation and confidence to build Lasting Relationships? This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center.